Game device



March 30 1926. 1,578,412

J. EWIG GAME DEVICE Filed Jan. 2, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 6 l INVENTOR. 7 v

LTULILISEWI 9-.

A TTORNE Y.

March 30 1926.

1,578,412 J. EWIG GAME DEVICE Filed Jan. 2, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet '2 I l!. H

INVENTOR. JULIUS EWIG A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS EWIG, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

em nnvxon.

, Application Med January 2, 1923.. Serial in. 10,343.

nated, clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades.

The mechanism involves means whereby various games now played with azstandard deck of cards, or with any abbrevlation or enlargement of the standard declg'can be played, and any play action whlch may be possible in any other similar card game may be reproduced with my improved game device or apparatus.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists 'in certain new and useful constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in wh1ch:- Fig. 1 is a plan vlew of a preferred form of the invention.

. Fig. 1 is a detail of a modified View of a 1n. p Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the invention. I

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form showing a ta symbols.- 1

Fig. 6 is a similar view of another form showing a table carrying twelve suit symbols, or three sets thereo Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified form of a spinner provided with'four suit symbols.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of another modified form showing a table provided with twelve suit sym ls. v

Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating the practical embodiment of my invention 5 designates a stationary base,

which is provided, with a central upstanding pivot 6, secured thereto by means of the screws or the like 7 This pivot or pointed le provided with four suit' bearing projects above the bottom 8 of the well 9 formed in said base and is engaged by the bearing 10 carried by the circular mem ber 11, which is shaped to freely rotate in the well 9 when the holding pin 12 is in the position shown in Fig. 1. This pin is provided with a flat face 12 which normally clears the periphery of the member 11, when the lateral arm 12 of said pin-is in the positlon shown in Fig. 1. By partially rotating the pm so that its round face 12. will be brought into binding engagement with the periphery of the spinner 11, this spinner may be held against rotative member on the base.

The spinner 11 is formed with a, series of radially spaced sockets 13in which pins 14 may be detachably inserted. Fifty-two of such sockets are arranged in evenly spaced relation in a circle around the circular wall 11 of said spinner. This wall forms, with the; bottom 11, of said spinner, awell in whlch the inner spinner 15 is arranged to rotate. This inner vspinner'is preferably formed of metal and is provided with a series of small recesses or'pockets 16, which are arranged in a circle near the periphery thereof. The central portion of the inner spinner is dished or drawn. upwardly to provlde a dome-like surface, while the outer marginal edge portion thereof is disposed.

at a slight angle, outwardly of the circular row of recesses or pockets, so that the selector ball 17 will roll into one of the recesses or pockets when the inner spinner comes to a spot, after having been rotated by a manually spinner action.

In Fig. 1 a modified arrangement of the pins 14 is shown. Referring to Fig. 1 14" describes a pin having a ball 14 on its lower end which is normally retained in a split socket 14 carried by the pin 149. When it is desired to move the pin 14 to an inactive 1 position it is merely swung horizontally in the socket 14. This arrangement does not req'uirethe removal ofthe ball and socket pin construction.

A single selector ball'is employed but the number of the recesses or pockets equals to the number of sockets 13 formed in the outer member or spinner 11. The spinner -15,rotates. upon the:upstanding pin 18secured at its lower end to the central portion of the spinner 11, as shown in Fig. 2 in cross section. The inner spinner has a. hub 19 which is providedpwith a screw 20 and the handle 21 is threaded on this screw. A selector arrow 22 is mounted at its inner end by means of the bearing 22 on the hub 19 to rotate, at the will or Sdesire of the player, over the face of the inner spinner 15. In order to lock this arrow against rotative movement relative to the inner spinner the handle 21 may be threaded snugly against the bearing eye 22 of said arrow 22, and held in either its normal loose position or in its holding position by means of the setscrew 23, which is threaded into the handle against the upper end of the connecting screw 20.

The arrow 22 may be used with or without the ball. By turning the handle the inner spinner may be rapidly rotated to cause the selector ball or the arrow to set up a relative motion on the inner spinner. The final position assumed by the selector ball oilarrow will determinethe character of the p ay.

The outer, marginal edge portionof the inner spinner is provided with a series of card indexes 24, representing the fifty-two cards of a standard deck of playing cards, and arranged in mixed formation in a circularrow surrounding the circular row of recesses or pockets 24. The value of the play is determined by the card value thus given to the individual pocket or recess into which the ball enters, or which is indicated by the point of the selector arrow when it comes to a stop or by the pin nearest to one of the indexes when the spinner stops. In

making an individual play the player first locates a pin in one of the numbered pockets of the outer spinner. The outer spinner 11 may also be rotated by finger manipulation of the upper horizontal surface of its wall, so that a great relative variation is possible.

The use of the pins 14 and 14permit of a. selection independent of that obtained by theaction of the ball 17 in the recesses 16, this independent selective action being desired in various kinds of special games and is capable of being used without employing the ball 17. I

Various games in addition to-the games usually played with standard playing cards may be played by the use of my improved game device, and any number of players, within the mechanical limits of the game device, may participate in any of the games played, depending, of course upon the governmg rules of the game being played. Each player selecting one or more pins to indicate his or her play, depending on the rules governing. In some games the pins would not be used.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I show a modified form of the invention comprising a base 30 on which the outer spinner 31 works, on this spinner 31 the inner spinner 32 works, both spinners being mounted for rotation upon suits.

the upstanding shaft 33, the lower end of which is fixed to the base 30.

The outer spinner is provided with a series of divisions which represents the unit cards of a single suit, any suit, of a standard four suit deck of cards. The inner spinner is provided with a series of divisions which carry the symbols or figure designs of these four suits, namely, clubs, hearts, spades and diamonds. The units of the suits being designated by the reference 34 and the color or kind of the suit being designated by the reference 35. The symbols of the suits are preferably arranged with the red and black colors alternating, as diamond, or red, club or black, heart, or red and spade, or black.

By imparting rotative movement to the spinner discs any of the various plays possible in a standard card game can be ettected by the use of the device shown in the Figs. 3 and 4.

In Fig. 5 I show a modified form of the invention wherein a spinner disc 40 is arranged to rotate around the axis 41, by 1 means of a finger turned knob 42, carried by the disc. This disc is provided with a series of ball pockets or recesses 43, located in its marginal edge portion, and arranged in line or adjacent to a circular row of numbers or value designations 44, beginning from 1 and running to 10, and thence including the letters J, Q and K, representing the jack, queen and king, of a standard card deck, while the numbers represent the other cards of the The spinner disc rotates within a member or table 45, which is shown to be divided into four quarters, in each one of which a card or suit character or symbol 46 Holes 48 are formed in the table 45 to per-' mit one or more players to designate the suit being layed. When the ball comes to a stop with t e spinner disc the suit symbol in the nearest sector of the circular table will be designated as the'card-being played. For instance, if the ball enters the pocket designated 8 with this pocket in line with the sector in which the diamond symbol is located, then an eight of diamonds will be indicated.

In Fig. 6 I show a similar arrangement, except that the table 45 is provided with a larger number of suit symbols.

In Fig. 7 I show a reversed arrangement, wherein the-table 50 carries the suit value numbers and letters, separated from each other by division lines, and the spinner 51 is divided into quarters and the suit symbols are arranged in these quarters. In each quarter of the spinner three pockets for the selecting ball are" arranged, and a pin hole is preferably located in line with each suit character or number.

In Fi 8 the spinner 51 is shown to be pro 'de with a larger series of suit symbols,

thr sets being shown, arranged in alternative order. A pocket 51 is located in line with each symbol. The table 50 is provided with 10 numbers and three letters, representing the member cards of each suit.

By' rotating the spinner of either form shown on'sheet 3- of the drawings, it is possible to play any card value used in any of the ordinary card games, employing the deck of fifty-two cards and standard carddeck of fifty-two cards. By using a series 0 selector pins a number of playera-s may participate in the game being aye P Having described my invention I claim 1. A ame device consisting of a member provide with a seriesof selector positions, a spinner rotatively mounted in the member and ca ing a series of individual card value in exes representative of a complete 1 standard card deck of fifty-two cards, and

means coo crating with the spinner whereby various p ays may be produced by rotating the spinner.

2. A me device consisting of a member provide with a series of selector positions, means of selecting either one or a number of said positions, a spinner carrying a series of card indexes representing a standard card provided with play locations in line with sald indexes, the

card deck 0 fifty-two cards, the inner spinner being provided with position locatlons in line with the card indexes, and a selector arranged for relative motion on the inner spinner and adapted to register with any one of the position locations thereof.

4. A game apparatus comprising a stationary member, an outer spinning" member adapted to rotate on the stationary member, means for locking said outer member against rotating said outer member against rotation 1 at will, an inner spinning member arranged to spin within the outer spinning member, one of said spinning members being provided with a series of selective positions circumferentially spaced from each other and the other spinnin member being provided with a series 0 characters representing suites of a standard deck of fifty-two cards and the successively numbered'values of each I suite.

Signed by me at Springfield Mass. JuLrbs EwIe. 

